Fourth Quarter Failures Stall Giants; Fall at Home to Redskins 29-27

All the Washington Redskins needed to avoid a dreaded 0-3 start was a couple of fourth-quarter interceptions by backups and five field goals from a guy who had never made that many in a game.

Dustin Hopkins kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:51 to play and the defending NFC East champion Redskins got a much-needed 29-27 win over the penalty- and error-prone New York Giants (2-1) on Sunday.

“We needed to get that first win bad,” said cornerback Greg Toler, who played most of the game after starter Bashaud Breeland hurt an ankle early. “We couldn’t lose the first three, and we hung in there and got some real contributions from everybody. You get everyone stepping up. The coaches treat all of us the same, coaches us up whether first- or second- or third- or fourth-string like we are starters.”

The guys who really stepped up were linebacker Su’a Cravens and cornerback Quinton Dunbar.